Alabama head coach Nick Saban may not get enough credit for being a revolutionary and progressive football coach.

The Crimson Tide doesn’t possess a flashy offense. It also doesn’t have a myriad of uniform combinations to pull from. However, Alabama is the most well-oiled machine in the entire country.

As a means to gain a competitive edge, Saban has been utilizing former players (Blake Sims, Trent Richardson, John Parker Wilson) to come in and play against the team in scout team situations. The aforementioned trio are supposed to imitate the opposition. For instance, Richardson’s job was to emulate current LSU running back Leonard Fournette.

There’s nothing in the NCAA rule book prohibiting against the use of former players. As such, Saban is taking full advantage.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was asked about Saban’s scout team methods. He didn’t seem too enthused about the idea:

It’s very likely to assume Saban doesn’t care too much about what Kelly thinks.

For one, Alabama is the No. 1 team in the country at this time. Notre Dame is currently sputtering with a 3-6 overall record. Secondly, Alabama destroyed Notre Dame and Kelly in the 2013 National Championship Game by a score of 42-14.